Looking at college rankings is a great way to determine which school you should attend. Until recently, however, it was hard for non-traditional online degree students to figure out which programs were best. Online Education Database (OEDb) was the first to create a ranking system specifically for online programs, and if you’re interested in distance learning, this is one of the best ways to research the programs available in your field.

Who is OEDb?

OEDb is a website that reviews college programs found online. They officially opened their doors in 2006 and currently list over 1000 programs offered by 88 different online schools. Users can browse by college, degree, or program, and only accredited online colleges are included in their database to prevent students from research schools that may have below-average standards for students. They also publish a number of articles about online learning every year.

Why should you Trust OEDb?

The first OEDb rankings list was released in 2008, and it was the first of its kind available to online students. They only include accredited online colleges on their list, and have a number of other criteria that a school must meet before it can be ranked on their list, included being listed by College Navigator, a publication by the United States Department of Education.

What is their Methodology?

OEDb uses a number of characteristics to rank each college. Their metrics include the following:

• Acceptance Rate
• Percentage of Students Receiving Financial Aid
• Graduation Rate (with six years for four-year programs and within three years for two-year progras)
• Linking to the Website by Other Online Colleges
• Retention Rate
• Scholarly Citations of Students and Faculty Members
• Student-to-Faculty Ratio
• Number of Years Accredited

These eight characteristics are weighted equally, as OEDb believes that they are all of equal importance when ranking a program.

For colleges that offer campus classes as well as online classes, at least 50% of the students receiving their degrees must get them online in order for the school to be considered for this list. The objective here is to provide you with a look at online programs, without watering down the list with school that offer limited programs online or only offer part of their program’s classes as distance learning opportunities.

Remember, if you’re considering attending school online, you should consider not only this rankings list, but also a number of other factors, such as your comfort level with the school, the student resources offered, and more. This college list by OEDb is only the start for the research you need to do to find the best school for you. Read reviews, talk to students attending their programs, meet via phone or chat room with school administration, and learn all you can about a program before you apply to ensure that you’re making the right educational decision.